PErsonal
I was raised by the Spice Girls
and my socks never match.
I can’t sleep without a fan going.
My hair is long and stringy like jellyfish tentacles.
I never stopped playing dress up.
My Irish grandmother tells me that my dark features
are a result of a selkie in our bloodline.
Maybe that’s why I feel so attached to the sea.
Did you know that when you blush, the lining
of your stomach also turns red?
I recently found out my father
had wanted to name me Maureen.
You may call me that.
I’m not interested if you’re Australian,
unless you’ll be kinder than the last one.
I was taught to be self-conscious in pre-school.
At five years old, I was tying my mother’s scarves
around my neck to hide the surgical scar below my right ear.
Now I’m working on bringing the look back,
except I’m not hiding anything anymore.
How do you feel about the stars?
I must warn you that I’ll most likely
end up checking your daily horoscope.
We can meet at one of those old time diners in Kansas City
where i-35 intersects with i-70.
We’ll flip a coin over pancakes
and decide on the direction
of our next adventure from there.
Did you hear about the woman who was impaled
by a beach umbrella? That was in my hometown.
Apparently when the umbrella struck her,
she was in such shock that she went into cardiac arrest.
She was celebrating her 32nd birthday. I’ve only had 21,
and now I stay away from the resort areas at the beach.
Only musicians need apply.
and my socks never match.
I can’t sleep without a fan going.
My hair is long and stringy like jellyfish tentacles.
I never stopped playing dress up.
My Irish grandmother tells me that my dark features
are a result of a selkie in our bloodline.
Maybe that’s why I feel so attached to the sea.
Did you know that when you blush, the lining
of your stomach also turns red?
I recently found out my father
had wanted to name me Maureen.
You may call me that.
I’m not interested if you’re Australian,
unless you’ll be kinder than the last one.
I was taught to be self-conscious in pre-school.
At five years old, I was tying my mother’s scarves
around my neck to hide the surgical scar below my right ear.
Now I’m working on bringing the look back,
except I’m not hiding anything anymore.
How do you feel about the stars?
I must warn you that I’ll most likely
end up checking your daily horoscope.
We can meet at one of those old time diners in Kansas City
where i-35 intersects with i-70.
We’ll flip a coin over pancakes
and decide on the direction
of our next adventure from there.
Did you hear about the woman who was impaled
by a beach umbrella? That was in my hometown.
Apparently when the umbrella struck her,
she was in such shock that she went into cardiac arrest.
She was celebrating her 32nd birthday. I’ve only had 21,
and now I stay away from the resort areas at the beach.
Only musicians need apply.
Biography
Caitlin Kimball is a junior at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. She is currently studying Media Production and Creative Writing.
Caitlin Kimball is a junior at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. She is currently studying Media Production and Creative Writing.